(205)

*Kenneth Koch. Straits 1998

For some reason I don't own this book. It's really one of his best, with "My Olivetti Speaks" a final poetics, from which the motto of my blog is taken. Also, "Songs from the Plays" and "The Seasons." The shorter poems aren't as satisfying, but Koch is probably at the height of his powers in the book taken as a whole, with the diversity of modes of writing of which he master.


(204)

*Kenneth Koch. Days & Nights 1982

This book finds Koch struggling a bit to find his mid-career voice. The title poem is a poem about trying to write a poem; there isn't that sense of absolute self-confidence here. "The Green Step," a short story, is an interesting experiment, but I'm not sure if it comes off with the brilliance of Hotel Lambasa.